An independent pro-Indy modeller from Scotland, in love with his country and its railways.

Month: September 2017

It’s been some time since I posted anything of my own up here. The truth is that I’ve been too busy with work on a full time basis.

Don’t get me wrong, I certainly enjoy the work but the shifts can be long and tiring on the roster I currently work. The high levels of concentration required on the job mean that by the time evening comes around and you’ve finally got home, you’ve walked the dog and had something to eat, there really isn’t much energy left for creative activity.

In truth I’ve done next to no modelling since April for these very reasons. The only exception over that time was during my leave period in July and it was during that time that I took stock and decided that it would be better to revert to part time working in the interest of balancing up work and all the other aspects of life that also matter. It had been two and a half years since I had last worked full time and shift work and my body has been reminding me of that in no uncertain terms. Abi’s recent health issues were another reinforcing part of the argument so when I returned to work after my break I enquired about going part time. The request was duly noted and though I had to await a suitable opening in the part time roster, one has now presented itself and I should be making the transition back to part time within the next three weeks or so.

I’m looking forward to this step down in gear immensely, not least as the opportunity for increased modelling activity and a return to a healthier lifestyle beckons.

One result of my new profession was an increased interest in heritage buses and I unexpectedly found myself amassing a small collection of miniatures which are now seriously pressing the rail contingent in my other wall cabinet into the corner!

I try to be magnanimous. Really, I do. But there are times I wonder: do the people who campaigned for Scotland to stay in the UK truly have any conception of what we independence campaigners felt this time three years ago?

I’m afraid I can’t sat silent about the hypocrisy of the state media here and this post goes a long way to setting the record straight regarding a great Scottish achievement that symbolises my country’s vision for the future.

Have you seen it yet? Our new Queensferry Crossing is an engineering masterpiece, or – as we say here in Scotland, it’s braw. This bridge is the largest of its kind in the world, and it is unique in that it is constructed on a location where there are three bridges each built in three different centuries – a perfect testimony to the proud history of Scotland. We should all be very proud of what Scotland has achieved in this project.

Sadly, given the current political climate in Scotland, it did not take long for the British government and unionist politicians and media to start stealing the credit for it from the Scottish government. In the BBC’s promotional video – showcasing “British” engineering – Scotland was not mentioned once. This bridge could have been in London as far as it was concerned. This nasty little propaganda film…